The Last Crusade
by Wh33tbread
Summary: With the threat of penance, the Cutie Mark Crusaders must make the ultimate sacrifice. (Based loosely off of an RP on the MLP Facebook page.
1. Old Wounds

**Hey! EmceeSquare here!**

 **Yes, it's true. After five months, I am well and truly back! With summer right around the bend, I am now resuming making stories for y'all. Schoolwork took priority for me to get out of high school, but it's nearly over! Summer living again!**

 **Anyway, I'm back in full force. I will keep on writing "The Jemima Complex" as well as more pony fics, more FNAF fics, and you might expect a little something from "Where The Wild Things Are."**

 **But that's all coming much later. Let's get into the here-and-now. This fic was inspired by a roleplay that I did with my friends on the MLP facebook page. It was so deep that I had to make a fic out of it. Don't be afraid to leave a review. If there's one thing that I love more than writing, it's seeing what the people think of it.**

 **And now, fillies and gentlecolts, allow me to give to you the result of this long labor of love: The Last Crusade!**

 **(This has nothing to do with Indiana Jones, btw.)**

* * *

All was quiet in Ponyville. The schoolhouse rang its final bell for the day, signaling the end of classes. Three little fillies – Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom – were out playing in the playground, having a blissful time, when a mysterious sound emanated from Apple Bloom's stomach.

"Ah, girls? Ma stomach's makin' weird noises. I don't feel so good, either."

"It probably means that you're hungry," Scootaloo replied. Just then, the same noise came from her stomach as well. "You know what? I'm feeling kinda hungry, too. Let's go get something to eat."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Sweetie Belle blurted out. "I know this place that makes the best cider this side of town! My sister goes there all the time with her friends. It's this place called the Feed Bar, and rumor has it we might be in for a discount!"

At this, the friends' faces lightened up. "Alright," Scootaloo remarked. "Lead the way!"

* * *

Outside the Feed Bar, there was a pink earth pony lying on her side, a beer still clutched in her hooves.

"Uhh, did your sister ever tell you about _those_ kinds of guests?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle just shook her head, as they walked through the doors of the establishment.

"So," Apple Bloom asked, "what's about this discount?" to which Sweetie Belle replied "rumor has it this place is owned by the father of a classmate."

" _And, of course, the rumors are true."_

The ponies stopped suddenly in their tracks, all at once curious and terrified by this new voice. It wasn't any of theirs, but there was something familiar about it: high-pitched and antagonistic. Just then, the figure behind the bar turned around in the creaking bar stool. As it slowly turned around, the girls could make out the features of the figure: a pink coat, little perky nose, lavender-and-white mane, and of course, a gem-encrusted crown atop her head.

"What's the matter, girls? It's as if you've seen a ghost!"


	2. Aggressive Hospitality

**Hey! EmceeSquare here!**

 **No more high school! Your boy is now a graduate! Where's the champagne? The cake?**

 _ **(looks around)**_

No... cake?

 **Well anyway, I got really into typing this story. I think y'all will really enjoy what I have in store for this. I'm bursting with excitement just thinking about all the possibilities!**

 **Before I explode with glee, I want to remind you all that I adore hearing feedback from you. What do you like? What _don't_ you like? What was your favorite part? What was the island anyway? Give me your feedback. I love hearing reviews.**

 **That just about covers it. Now let's get on to Chapter Two!**

* * *

"Diamond Tiara!"

The trio now gazed upon what they considered to be their sworn enemy. For as long as they could remember, Diamond Tiara and her toadie, Silver Spoon, had relished in their mockery of the three for not getting their cutie marks yet, and resort to calling them that vitriolic, ear-splitting name that the ponies dreaded hearing.

"What are you _blankflanks_ doing here?"

Ever the brave member of the group, Scootaloo stepped forward. "Leave me and my friends alone. We just wanted a bite to eat, not to be insulted. The question is we should be asking _you_ is what _you_ are doing here."

Diamond Tiara chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? My daddy owns it." She gestured to a picture on the wall that featured Diamond's father, Filthy Rich, clutching the deed to the establishment before drawing the attention back to herself. "So you fillies want a bite to eat? I think I have _just the thing_. C'mon, sit down!" she invited them over. There was a moment of silence when none of the three moved. The pink pony behind the counter savored the moment before delivering another remark, this one with her crosshairs centered directly on the young Pegasus.

"Of course, that is, if you aren't _chicken._ "

The brave filly that stood up for her friends just moments before was now the center of attention. Her friends looked at her with a glance of concern. The air hung heavy with intensity. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Scootaloo spoke as she and her friends backed their way gingerly out of the establishment.

"On second thought, I think we should go somewhere else."

"Oh, no no _no!_ You simply _must_ stay," she called out with mock hospitality. A second later, she slammed her hoof on the countertop, causing the heavy oaken doors of the restaurant to slam shut, preventing the trio's escape.

"I _insist._ "

* * *

Sat down at the bar, the three ponies were quivering in their seats, as the filly that held them captive whipped up some cider for the three. Hers was a special blend, not sold anywhere else in Equestria: their family's secret recipe – freshly squeezed apples, thistle, Everfree berries, and a dash of poison joke for flavor, but not enough to cause any side effects. At last, when the concoction was done, she poured it out into three wooden steins which she then served to the ponies that just sat there, looking at the cider.

"You came all this way for some cider, and now you're having second thoughts?"

The cider wasn't the problem – it looked and smelled delicious. The problem was the filly serving it to them. They could just tell that something was up; that there was a reason for this encounter.

"Fine then!" Diamond Tiara was clearly fed up. "If you don't like my cooking, then you can just starve yourselves!" She then took the steins, walked over to the door, opened it, and then emptied the steins of their contents in the grass before coming back inside, the door closing securely behind her. "I can't believe you three lost your appetites so quickly! If you're not going to eat, then let's talk. Anything come to mind?"

More silence.

"No? Then might I make a suggestion of conversation." Then she pointed straight at Apple Bloom. "You. Your cousin. Babs, is it? How is she doing?

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes. "Wha wouldya wanna know about Babs?"

"We were friends, of course! And friends always watch out for each other." She continued this lecture as she walked back behind the bar. "If I remember correctly, she resides in Manehattan." She then shook her head. "It sure can be dangerous in that city, especially around night. I'm not sure that she's at all safe there. She might get into the wrong crowd of ponies and start acting like a hoodlum."

" _Hey!"_ Apple Bloom shouted, all of a sudden standing on top of her stool, "you threaten Babs an' I will make sure that you pay! An' besides, Babs would be able to fend fer herself, and won't lower herself to those standards. The ponies that commit those crimes have no place in Equestria!"

Diamond Tiara had Apple Bloom exactly where she wanted her. "Do you perhaps mean… ponies like _this?_ "

She slid something across the bar to the young earth pony. Reluctantly, she picked it up, flipped it over, and found herself face-to-face with something that would haunt her for the rest of her life…

Her cousin's mugshot.


	3. The Ultimatum

**Hey! EmceeSquare here!**

 **Here's the next chapter. It would've been done sooner but my family... well... we have a lot on our plate. Both of my grandmothers were in the hospital earlier this month. I'm not going to go into details here for obvious reasons. I hope you understand. But nevertheless, I was still able to crank out this baby for you.**

 **If you enjoy this fic, why don't you go check out some of my other stuff. Pick your poison: I've got CATS fics, FNAF fics, and even an original play centered around Calvin & Hobbes! You'd wanna check that one out. Trust me. However, if you're only interested in ponyfics, I got you covered as well. Check out my story "Exactly the Same," which involves one of my OCs and the unnamed town from the Season 5 premiere. So be sure to check it out. You won't be disappointed!**

 **As always, feedback is strongly appreciated. Drop a review if you like what I'm doing or if you've got some things you think would improve the series.**

 **That takes care of that. And now, off we go!**

* * *

"BABS!" Apple Boom's jaw dropped. She could hardly believe it. Her own cousin – a con.

"You're looking at the head of Manehattan's leading crime syndicate, the Bronco Gang," Diamond Tiara went on, savoring the horrified looks on their faces. "This filly was quite the catch, I hear." She pulled out a police report, and proceeded to read it. "'Wanted for a number of crimes: theft, trafficking of goods forbidden by the royalty, counterfeiting, distillation and distribution of illegal hard cider…"' She saved the best for last. "'…and _murder_.'"

The fillies couldn't believe their ears. The filly that came across as a harmless Manehattanite turned out to be the most hardened criminal in Equestria.

Diamond Tiara went on. "'Suspect is known to have sought asylum in Appleoosa, Griffonstone, Saddle Arabia, and Yak-yakistan, and has known connections to three fillies in Ponyville. Any information leading to her capture or the capture of her accomplices will be rewarded with a bounty of one million bits.'"

Quivering in fear, the Crusaders realize that they had aided and abetted a hoodlum. Not only that, they have a bounty on their heads.

"Ah… ah cain't believe it." Apple Bloom shook with horror. Looking down at the face of her own cousin, it was like she was looking at a completely different pony. The poor Earth pony didn't know her own cousin. Every fiber of her being wanted to deny this; to bottle this whole thing up and pretend that this ordeal was one bad dream… but she couldn't. The proof was right in front of her.

"Believe it, Apple Bloom," Diamond Tiara interrupted. "The Babs Seed that you know is a lie. You can kiss all those precious, happy little memories goodbye. Don't worry, though. I'm sure you four will be able to make plenty of new ones… once you're all locked away in the same cell." She cackled with evil delight, getting ready to unleash what she had in store for her captives. "Of course you three realize what comes next, right?"

The Crusaders huddled together, in fear of what would come out of her mouth next.

"I turn you three in to the police, and I get one million bits richer. Unless, of course, you do me one teensy weensy favor."

The three young fillies drew a collective breath, for there was now a way to escape their fate. However, there was still an air of malevolence. Nopony knew what this "favor" would be.

"Whaddya wan' us to do?" the young Earth filly asked.

"I'm glad you asked. Perchance do you fillies remember your little gossip column, Gabby Gums?"

Gabby Gums? How could they forget?

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied, "and we don't miss it! That made us feel terrible for what we've done. When we left the press, the notion of it left with us. We will never start it up again."

At this, Diamond Tiara chuckled. "You poor thing. When will you ever learn to listen? I'm not asking you to start it back up. It's already back up. Thanks to you three, the Foal Free Press hasn't sold this many copies in fifteen moons!"

Scootaloo had enough of her talk. "You want us to help you so we can stay out of jail. So quit talking and tell us what you want us to do!"

Right to the point. Exactly what she was looking for.

"Alright then," Diamond Tiara stated, a wry smile forming on her face. "Either you join Babs Seed in prison, or you three reprise your role as Gabby Gums… and permanently disband the Cutie Mark Crusaders."


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End file.
